INTERVIEW. Guillaume Coudert : "The art of conjugating slash"
![Portrait. Guillaume Coudert : « l’art de conjuguer le slash »](/sites/default/files/2019-05/guillaume-coudert-slasheur-slash-entrepreneur-influenceur-agorize-bnp-paribas-factor_0.jpg)
After studying Human Resources, Guillaume chose to start his career in a large company. In charge of talent retention, enhancing the company's image and employer brand, he tells us: "Very quickly, I realize that I certainly like what I do but that I need more! ».
He then creates a blog : marqueemployeur.net. This blog allows him to enrich his skills and knowledge. He writes many articles on various HR topics: recruitment, gender equality, and of course, the employer brand. "At that time I thought my blog would be just a passing fad, but in the end it is growing..." he tells us with emotion. Quickly invited to various events for his in-depth knowledge of the employer brand, one of them will boost his career.
In Deauville, he met his future employer and partner, Charles Thou, President of Agorize. This company organizes hackathons and innovation challenges sponsored by major companies in order to bring out the best projects from students, startuppers or employees. At the time, Agorize had 3 employees, but Guillaume soon saw bigger and set himself the goal of making this young company grow. We are in 2011, Guillaume is 24 years old, but he is already determined.
While climbing the ladder at Agorize, Guillaume continues his blog, source of more and more opportunities. "I'm becoming "slasher", meaning that I work in a company and have other activities in parallel." He explains.
The blog marqueemployeur.net opens many doors for him since, in addition to the conferences and lectures he regularly gives, he becomes a speaker at ISCOM and gives courses on the employer brand. Recently, communication agencies, looking for influencers, contacted him: "Nowadays, companies are more and more in a logic of corporate influence. Instead of promoting a product, they emphasize the quality of life at work, the company's premises or its opportunities for development..." he confides to us.
Complementary professions
One would think that his job as an employer brand influencer would compete with Agorize. On the contrary, these two professions are totally complementary. Agorize even offers him the possibility of devoting 20% of his time to this second job. During the conferences or training sessions that Guillaume gives on the employer brand, he talks about his professional experience at Agorize and explains the activity of his company. "It is possible that following a conference, a client may be interested in the Agorize solution. For me, it's an achievement because it's totally virtuous for my company!" he explains with a smile.
For Guillaume, slasher is a trend that allows employees to grow in their jobs. He wouldn't see his life in a different way since, thanks to his blog and his job as an influencer, he has been able to widen his circle of acquaintances and make Agorize grow. Today the company has nearly 100 talents working to satisfy nearly 300 clients on five continents. Very recently, Agorize has raised 13 million euros to enable it to accelerate its international development and meet the growing demand of major international groups in terms of open innovation.
"The single-activity standard is gradually disappearing, even if it is still the majority and dominant standard in France. However, I believe that in a few years time this trend will become more widespread and democratic, since many young people today no longer wish to limit themselves to a single activity." concludes Guillaume Coudert.
guillaume'S advice TO entrepreneurs / slasheurs1. The desire to learn new things
"To be a slasher, you have to love risk and learn. Sometimes I get requests to speak on subjects I've never covered before. Then I start a long research work to know my subject by heart. This allows me to stay on top of employer-brand subjects." "You have to be passionate about your subject! Beyond accepting a job in the metro, at work, at bedtime, you have to join a company that makes you vibrate and a job that boosts you. What's more, you have to know that you'll have two jobs, so you'll have twice as much work! You have to have the time to be able to respond to the different demands." 3. Recruitment "Recruitment in a start-up is more important than elsewhere. Surrounding yourself with the right profiles is fundamental." 4. Do not restrain your employees "Many employees want to become influencers of their company, and companies must not be allowed to restrict them. On the contrary, they must be encouraged by giving them the keys to success, because in the end this will have a positive impact on the company." |